Those skilled in the art recognize the need to anchor objects and/or people relative to a support structure. For example, when work is being performed on a building, a worker is well advised to attach a safety line or fall arrest line between his body and a structurally sound portion of the building. One widely accepted fall arrest system uses intermittent brackets to support a horizontal line which in turn, supports individual worker safety lines and minimally interferes with the worker's movements. A slotted coupling device is connected to an individual safety line and movably mounted on the horizontal line. The device is designed to traverse the brackets without compromising the structural integrity of the connection between the worker and the support structure. Examples of such systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,975 to Riches et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,385 to Riches et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,427 to Riches et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,410 to Sharp et al.
The foregoing prior art patents disclose horizontal safety line systems which are advantageous in many respects. However, one shortcoming of such systems is that the safety line must be threaded through each of the anchorages or support brackets. As a result, if one of the brackets requires replacement, then an end of the safety line must be freed, pulled through any intervening brackets, and then threaded through the replacement bracket and back through the intervening brackets. Such a procedure is time consuming and increases the likelihood of undesirable wear and tear on other components of the system. Therefore, a need remains for an intermediate anchorage or bracket which is relatively simple to make and use, may be connected to an intermediate portion of a safety line, and does not compromise the structural integrity of the system.
Various methods and apparatus are currently used to secure safety lines to roofs, whether for purposes of supporting slotted coupling devices or otherwise. In one relatively common application scenario, beams, also known as pearlings, span opposing walls of a structure and are disposed several feet apart from one another. Panels, which are typically corrugated metal, are mounted on top of the beams, in overlapping fashion, to form a roof over the structure. Problems can arise when any sort of safety line is anchored relative to the panels, without regard to the locations of the beams. For example, the fall of a person connected to the safety line can significantly damage the panels to which the line is anchored. Also, the provision of holes through the panels increases the chances of leaks in the roof. In other words, a need remains for an anchorage or mounting bracket which is simple to make and use, and which does not compromise the structural integrity of the roof or the safety system.